


At What Cost?

by UNICORNZWAG



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Character Death, Fake AH Crew, First Rt Fic, GTA AU, Implied Torture, Kidnapping, M/M, Risewood, Slight Violence, Suicide, Unpopular pairing, fem!Jack, protective!ryan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-20
Updated: 2016-03-07
Packaged: 2018-04-10 06:52:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4381670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UNICORNZWAG/pseuds/UNICORNZWAG
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jon is kidnapped. What is Ryan willing to do to bring him home safely? What will this cost him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first Achievement Hunter or Rooster Teeth fanfiction. Feedback would be nice because I'm not sure how good I am at writing "real people" stuff I guess. Not quite sure how this'll turn out with the site's formatting. Hope you enjoy. :-) May also be posted at Wattpad LeofreakingValdez

Ryan enters Geoff's penthouse with Michael in lieu of their most recent job. The warehouse they had been sent to destroy is in ashes. Gavin squawks as soon as the door is opened, "Bloody hell, you two are all over the news. That'll show everyone who runs our city!" 

Ryan lets out a rather dark chuckle as he tosses his mask onto the table. Michael and Gavin get into an animated conversation about the reliability of C4 versus grenades. 

Geoff enters the room and congratulates them on a job well done, saying that they’ll get their pay for this particular job sometime this week, just ask Jack about it. Ryan nods, thinking, not for the first time, that Jack is really the one who runs this crew, not Geoff. 

Ray yells from the couch, “MARIO KART TOURNEY! Get your asses in here!” Ryan smiles, but replies, “I think I should probably go. I have some stuff to do.” 

“Like dudes,” Ray says with a smirk and a wink. Ryan wonders how this smartass kid could be one of the most infamous snipers in the country. 

“Oh burn, Vagabond,” yells Michael. “Want some ice there?” calls Geoff. 

Ryan just laughs as he’s beckoned to stay. “Fine, just one round.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Six infuriating games of racing later and Ryan glances at the clock. 5:45 pm. “Shit. I’ve got to go guys. I have to stop at the store on my way home.” 

“Tell you Jon I say hi,” Jack says, having just walked into the room from her office. 

Ryan bids his goodbyes, grabs his mask and heads to the supermarket. Good thing he didn’t wear face paint today. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Ryan walks into his apartment, it’s eerily quiet. Usually Jon gets home around 6 o’clock and it’s half past by now. 

Instinctively, Ryan doesn’t say anything, just sets the groceries down on the floor and pulls out his pistol. 

He creeps around his apartment, finding absolutely no one, but there are signs of a struggle. The last room he looks in is the kitchen. On the counter is a note. It reads… 

Vagabond,  
We know who you are and who you work for. We will not hesitate to take everything away from you. There is a phone number attached to this letter. Call it, but tell none of your crew. All we want is for one of them to fall and you and your lover can escape scott-free. You do not want to anger us so I suggest you comply.  
CFC XXX-XXX-XXXX 

Ryan reads the note and stares in shock. Their apartment has top of the line security. He made sure to teach Jon how to handle a gun, even though he has a huge aversion to them. There had always been the possibility since the second they started dating that something like this could happen, but Ryan’s heart still felt like it was falling to pieces. 

He doesn’t think twice before calling the number listed. After about the third ring, it is answered. “This must be the Vagabond,” says the voice of a total asshole. 

(The voice of a total asshole is obviously a condescending, nasally voice.) 

“Who the fuck are you?” Ryan spits back with venom, “and what the fuck do you want?” 

“Dearest James, what kind of foul language is that. All we want is for you to get your boy-toy back… and a little bit of information about one of the members of your crew.” 

Ryan is taken aback. He hasn’t gone by James since he lived back in Georgia eight years ago. He ditched his entire identity back then. How could they know that about him? 

“Who do you want to know about?” Ryan asks, with no intention of telling them anything truthful. Maybe if he just spews lies, he can get Jon back and destroy the people who would dare touch his love. 

“Just tell us how we can get Brownman to either rejoin our crew… or how destroy him.” 

This is about Ray? What the hell? Why is Ryan even involved? Plus how could Ray have left one crew already? He’s just a kid pretty much. 

Questions swirling around in his mind, Ryan just snarls out, “Tell me where Jon is and I’ll tell you how to kill Brownman, because he won’t join whatever crazy shit-ass crew you run.” 

“Oh no. That’s not how this works. You see, Vagabond, I as they say, have the high ground. I have the one playing card that is worth the world to you. Say hello Jon.” 

Ryan hear shuffling, then a voice he recognizes, the one voice he would recognize anywhere. Jon’s voice sounds dazed and confused, “Ryan?” 

“Jon? I hear you. Are you hurt?” 

“I don’t think so Rya…” Jon cuts off with a shout of pain and Ryan audibly growls. 

“That just won’t do,” says the unidentified voice, “Ryan you will have to cooperate now or I daresay something rather unfortunate could happen to Jon.” 

“What do you want from me?” Ryan practically yells, “Ray is practically unkillable.” 

Ryan knows that he’s letting his cool slip. He’s never been this way before. He’s the goddam Mad King for crying out loud. This man has found his Kryptonite, though. He won’t let Jon be hurt. 

“Practically… hm,” the voice seems to contemplate. Ryan can hear Jon breathing in gasps. 

“If you hurt him. I shall end you. Imagine the worst death you can and make it ten times worse. That will be your demise,” Ryan threatens in a low, dangerous voice. This is the Mad King voice. This is what people fear. 

The person laughs. Fucking laughs. “I think we should meet up, Vagabond… and I think you should bring lovely Ray with you. It’ll be a great time for the four of us, as long as you do not tell him or anyone else about this. Just trade me Ray for Jon. One means so much more to you than the other.” 

“Ryan that’s dumb, he’s trick-” another pained cry cuts off Jon, and he curses. 

Ryan knows he shouldn’t give this crazy person Ray, but Ryan is just as crazy. Every time he hears his Jon cry out it’s like another stab to the heart. All of his instincts say that he should do anything and everything to save him… no matter the cost. 

“I’ll do it.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit goes down. Will Ryan take the deal? Can they save Jon? We meet Ray's Sheba puppy! What will her role be? All these questions and more in this newest installment!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SPOILER! 
> 
> Trigger warning in this chapter: minor violence, major character death, suicide.

Ray is walking home from the penthouse. He needs to get home to feed his Sheba and walk her. He barely ever spends time at his own apartment anymore. Ray wonders why he hasn’t just moved into Geoff’s apartment yet. He practically spends all of his time there and they all love the dog. Maybe he’ll bring it up to Geoff. 

His phone rings, an awful pop song that Gavin picked out as a joke, but Ray has always been too lazy to change. He looks at the caller ID and answers almost immediately. 

“Hey, Ryan. You missing me already? It’s only been a few hours.”

Ryan’s reply is a laugh and a joking “yeah,” followed by, “Was wondering if you were busy later. I wanted to stake out a location for a hit.” Ray notices an almost forced lightness to the response. Like Ryan is hoping he’ll say no. 

“What about Jon?” Ray asks. The crew have known about Ryan and Jon’s relationship for just over a year now. Everyone likes him and has learned to trust him. “Isn’t he going to be upset if you’re gone another night this week?”

Ryan had stayed overnight for two days at a safe-house with the rest of the crew earlier in the week after a heist to make sure there were no police on his trail. It was always a little upsetting for Jon to have Ryan gone so often, while he worried at home. 

Ryan replied, a bit sadly, “Jon had to go out to do something tonight and won’t be home until tomorrow.” 

Ray contemplates doing the stake out with Ryan. He still has to get home and stop neglecting his beloved dog, but stake outs with Ryan always turn out to be fun. They usually get milkshakes and get into long discussions about video game lore and PC vs Xbox. He decides that it will be worth it to go. 

 

“If you can pick me up at my house,” he says, “I need to feed my dog.”

“Sure. I’ll be there in half an hour,” Ryan says, hanging up without a goodbye. 

Ray thinks that Ryan is acting odd. Usually he is more polite. Maybe he's just stressed that Jon is out tonight. Ray wonders where Jon could be. Jon is a freelance artist who does portraits and paintings for customers. On the weekends he hosts a game show over on the pier that the crew sometimes (incognito of course) watches. Ray and Ryan had even appeared on it one time. 

Anyway, Ray assumes Jon must be somewhere important. He doubts that the man would cheat on Ryan. They were closer than Ray had ever been to anyone… almost anyone. 

Ray finally gets home and gives Sheba some kibble. She scarfs it down and followed right at Ray’s heels as he goes about getting changed and grabbing a Red Bull to drink. He eventually sits down and she sits in his lap. 

“Girl, I’m gonna have to leave again, you know,” he said. She is a smart dog and probably hears the tone of regret in his voice. Her whine almost breaks Ray’s heart. 

After a few minutes, Ryan knocks on the door. When Ray answers, he is rather suspicious. Ryan has his mask on already and is standing incredibly tensely in Ray’s foyer. 

“You okay, Ryan?”

“Fine. We should get going.”

“I was wondering,” Ray realizes that he seems to do a lot of wondering these days, “can my dog come along in the car. She’s a sweetheart and won’t make any noise.”

“She’ll get in the way,” Ryan says, but with Ray’s downtrodden puppy dog eyes, gives in. “Bring her downstairs.”

Ray cheers on the inside and whistles for the dog. She bounds happily after him. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After two hours in the car, Ray is rather bored. Ryan hasn’t explained for what they are even looking. They're just parked across the street from an old warehouse. Ryan’s eyes scanning and roaming everywhere, though this whole block seems abandoned. He checks his gun every ten minutes and his knives every five. Ray has never seen Ryan act so antsy. Just as Ray is about to question Ryan, the little clock on the dashboard strikes midnight.

Ryan says, “We should really go inside and check it out.” 

“I thought this was just a stake out,” Ray replies.

Ryan looks at him with an almost apologetic plea in his eyes, “I really think we should go in.”

Ray is on edge now. What could be causing Ryan of all people, The Mad King for crying out loud, to be desperate. Ray can only think of one thing.

“Ryan,” Ray says quietly, “Where’s Jon?” Ryan’s expression doesn’t change. 

“We need to go check it out,” he says, locking eyes with Ray. 

Ray thinks about Jon. Everyone in the crew picks on him, but they all loved him too. Ray himself respects any guy who can keep the Vagabond in line and have him stuttering, “yes dear.” He considers Jon a close friend of his and definitely does not want Ryan to lose him. 

Ray gets out of the car. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ryan takes point as they head into the warehouse. It is dark, shadows elongated on the floor and walls. The only sounds are the creaks of the old building and Ryan’s steel-toed boots followed by Ray’s muted sneakers. Ray has a sense of dread in his gut as he follows Ryan around a corner. 

His eyes widen when he saw Jon, beaten and bloody, sitting on a chair. He also catches something coming toward him fast in his peripherals… and everything goes dark.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ray comes to with a massive headache. He opens his eyes, but everything is blurry. He mustn’t be wearing his glasses. He can only see blurs, but his hearing is clearing up. He can hear someone crying and tries to move to figure out what's going on. He is restrained, definitely. His wrists chafing on whatever he is tied with behind his back. 

Ray hears a voice he thought he would never hear again. 

“Oh stop struggling you big baby.” 

He will never forget this voice. It has been years. Ten years and forty day since he has heard that voice. The last time he had heard it, the person had been screaming. Ray remembers it like it was yesterday. 

Ray had been fifteen. He was already a runaway. He and his best friend were selling drugs. His friend had wanted to try something else… try killing. Ray had his doubts at the time, but, reluctantly agreed. They were pretty good at it. On their fifth job, they got caught. Their target’s bodyguards spotted them and Ray did something he has always hated himself for, he left. The crew they worked with would kill them if they escaped without the kill, but they would die if they stayed to complete it. Ray’s friend wanted to stay, complete the job, but Ray ran. He left his best friend behind. He left Challenge Finders and New York, but worst of all… he left Roy. 

The memory slams into the headache he already has as well as the yelling. Ryan is yelling. If he focuses he can make out words: “I did what you asked, now let us go. He can rejoin your stupid crew or you can do whatever you want. If you harm one more hair on Jon’s head, I’ll tear you limb from limb!”

“Oh look, Ray is awake. This is fantastic news. I thought you might be a goner there, bud.” That's definitely Roy, but… Roy had died. Ray had checked. There had been no sign of him anywhere in the past years. He was completely erased from existence. 

Ray tries to look at Roy (A/N I realize it may be a little confusing to read Ray and Roy in the same sentences… sorry!), but everything is just a blur. 

“Roy? What the hell is this?” Ray asks, though not as angrily as he tries to. He is still a little loopy and quite a bit in shock. 

“This is payback,” Roy growls with scorn. 

A shot goes off. 

Two screaming voices.

Barking. 

Another shot. 

A scramble. Sounds of a scuffle.

A scream. 

Sobbing. 

Ray is practically blind, but he knows the voice he is hearing. 

“Ryan?”

“Not without him,” is the only softly spoken reply. 

One final shot, and Ray is alone.


End file.
